Mobile gaming alert

ABSTRACT

Various embodiments of alerts on mobile devices are described. In some embodiments, information regarding a plurality of games may be stored, including a list of mobile devices registered to receive alerts associated with each game. Data comprising information related to the plurality of games may be received. Matches between information in the data and one or more of the games may be identified by searching the stored game information. For each identified match, at least one alert message may be generated for each mobile device registered to receive alerts associated with the game. The respective alert message may include a respective summary of information from the data regarding the game, which may include information about scheduling and/or potential outcomes of the game. Other embodiments are described.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/429,848, filed Mar. 26, 2012, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/367,566 (now U.S. Pat. No. 8,150,956), filed Feb. 9, 2009, each of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This patent application relates generally to gaming.

SUMMARY

This patent application describes methods and apparatus, including computer program products, for the creation and communication of gaming alerts.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 depicts a mobile alert message viewed on a display.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a system including a gaming server and a gaming event detector.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of an event match identification process.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of an event match identification process.

FIG. 5 is a chart of alert registrations.

FIG. 6 is a chart showing a matrix of alert registration coincidences.

Like reference numerals in different figures indicate like elements.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following sections I-X provide a guide to interpreting the present application.

Terms

-   -   i. The term “product” means any machine, manufacture and/or         composition of matter, unless expressly specified otherwise.     -   ii. The term “process” means any process, algorithm, method or         the like, unless expressly specified otherwise.     -   iii. Each process (whether called a method, algorithm or         otherwise) inherently includes one or more steps, and therefore         all references to a “step” or “steps” of a process have an         inherent antecedent basis in the mere recitation of the term         ‘process’ or a like term. Accordingly, any reference in a claim         to a ‘step’ or ‘steps’ of a process has sufficient antecedent         basis.     -   iv The term “invention” and the like mean “the one or more         inventions disclosed in this application”, unless expressly         specified otherwise.     -   v. The terms “an embodiment”, “embodiment”, “embodiments”, “the         embodiment”, “the embodiments”, “one or more embodiments”, “some         embodiments”, “certain embodiments”, “one embodiment”, “another         embodiment” and the like mean “one or more (but not all)         embodiments of the disclosed invention(s)”, unless expressly         specified otherwise.     -   vi. The term “variation” of an invention means an embodiment of         the invention, unless expressly specified otherwise.     -   vii. A reference to “another embodiment” in describing an         embodiment does not imply that the referenced embodiment is         mutually exclusive with another embodiment (e.g., an embodiment         described before the referenced embodiment), unless expressly         specified otherwise.     -   viii. The terms “including”, “comprising” and variations thereof         mean “including but not limited to”, unless expressly specified         otherwise.     -   ix. The terms “a”, “an” and “the” mean “one or more”, unless         expressly specified otherwise.     -   x. The term “plurality” means “two or more”, unless expressly         specified otherwise.     -   xi. The term “herein” means “in the present application,         including anything which may be incorporated by reference”,         unless expressly specified otherwise.     -   xii. The phrase “at least one of”, when such phrase modifies a         plurality of things (such as an enumerated list of things) means         any combination of one or more of those things, unless expressly         specified otherwise. For example, the phrase “at least one of a         widget, a car and a wheel” means either (i) a widget, (ii) a         car, (iii) a wheel, (iv) a widget and a car, (v) a widget and a         wheel, (vi) a car and a wheel, or (vii) a widget, a car and a         wheel. The phrase “at least one of”, when such phrase modifies a         plurality of things does not mean “one of each” of the plurality         of things.     -   xiii. Numerical terms such as “one”, “two”, etc. when used as         cardinal numbers to indicate quantity of something (e.g., one         widget, two widgets), mean the quantity indicated by that         numerical term, but do not mean at least the quantity indicated         by that numerical term. For example, the phrase “one widget”         does not mean “at least one widget”, and therefore the phrase         “one widget” does not cover, e.g., two widgets.     -   xiv. The term “represent” and like terms are not exclusive,         unless expressly specified otherwise. For example, the term         “represents” does not mean “represents only”, unless expressly         specified otherwise. In other words, the phrase “the data         represents a credit card number” describes both “the data         represents only a credit card number” and “the data represents a         credit card number and the data also represents something else”.     -   xv. The term “whereby” is used herein only to precede a clause         or other set of words that express only the intended result,         objective or consequence of something that is previously and         explicitly recited. Thus, when the term “whereby” is used in a         claim, the clause or other words that the term “whereby”         modifies do not establish specific further limitations of the         claim or otherwise restricts the meaning or scope of the claim.     -   xvi. The term “e.g.” and like terms mean “for example”, and thus         does not limit the term or phrase it explains. For example, in         the sentence “the computer sends data (e.g., instructions, a         data structure) over the Internet”, the term “e.g.” explains         that “instructions” are an example of “data” that the computer         may send over the Internet, and also explains that “a data         structure” is an example of “data” that the computer may send         over the Internet. However, both “instructions” and “a data         structure” are merely examples of “data”, and other things         besides “instructions” and “a data structure” can be “data”.     -   xvii. The term “respective” and like terms mean “taken         individually”. Thus if two or more things have “respective”         characteristics, then each such thing has its own         characteristic, and these characteristics can be different from         each other but need not be. For example, the phrase “each of two         machines has a respective function” means that the first such         machine has a function and the second such machine has a         function as well. The function of the first machine may or may         not be the same as the function of the second machine.     -   xviii. The term “i.e.” and like terms mean “that is”, and thus         limits the term or phrase it explains. For example, in the         sentence “the computer sends data (i.e., instructions) over the         Internet”, the term “i.e.” explains that “instructions” are the         “data” that the computer sends over the Internet.     -   xix. Any given numerical range shall include whole and fractions         of numbers within the range. For example, the range “1 to 10”         shall be interpreted to specifically include whole numbers         between 1 and 10 (e.g., 1, 2, 3, 4, . . . 9) and non-whole         numbers (e.g., 1.1, 1.2, . . . 1.9).     -   xx. Where two or more terms or phrases are synonymous (e.g.,         because of an explicit statement that the terms or phrases are         synonymous), instances of one such term/phrase does not mean         instances of another such term/phrase must have a different         meaning. For example, where a statement renders the meaning of         “including” to be synonymous with “including but not limited         to”, the mere usage of the phrase “including but not limited to”         does not mean that the term “including” means something other         than “including but not limited to”.

II. Determining

-   -   i. The term “determining” and grammatical variants thereof         (e.g., to determine a price, determining a value, determine an         object which meets a certain criterion) is used in an extremely         broad sense. The term “determining” encompasses a wide variety         of actions and therefore “determining” can include calculating,         computing, processing, deriving, investigating, looking up         (e.g., looking up in a table, a database or another data         structure), ascertaining and the like. Also, “determining” can         include receiving (e.g., receiving information), accessing         (e.g., accessing data in a memory) and the like. Also,         “determining” can include resolving, selecting, choosing,         establishing, and the like.     -   ii. The term “determining” does not imply certainty or absolute         precision, and therefore “determining” can include estimating,         extrapolating, predicting, guessing and the like.     -   iii. The term “determining” does not imply that mathematical         processing must be performed, and does not imply that numerical         methods must be used, and does not imply that an algorithm or         process is used.     -   iv. The term “determining” does not imply that any particular         device must be used. For example, a computer need not         necessarily perform the determining

III. Forms Of Sentences

-   -   i. Where a limitation of a first claim would cover one of a         feature as well as more than one of a feature (e.g., a         limitation such as “at least one widget” covers one widget as         well as more than one widget), and where in a second claim that         depends on the first claim, the second claim uses a definite         article “the” to refer to the limitation (e.g., “the widget”),         this does not imply that the first claim covers only one of the         feature, and this does not imply that the second claim covers         only one of the feature (e.g., “the widget” can cover both one         widget and more than one widget).     -   ii. When an ordinal number (such as “first”, “second”, “third”         and so on) is used as an adjective before a term, that ordinal         number is used (unless expressly specified otherwise) merely to         indicate a particular feature, such as to distinguish that         particular feature from another feature that is described by the         same term or by a similar term. For example, a “first widget”         may be so named merely to distinguish it from, e.g., a “second         widget”. Thus, the mere usage of the ordinal numbers “first” and         “second” before the term “widget” does not indicate any other         relationship between the two widgets, and likewise does not         indicate any other characteristics of either or both widgets.         For example, the mere usage of the ordinal numbers “first” and         “second” before the term “widget” (1) does not indicate that         either widget comes before or after any other in order or         location; (2) does not indicate that either widget occurs or         acts before or after any other in time; and (3) does not         indicate that either widget ranks above or below any other, as         in importance or quality. In addition, the mere usage of ordinal         numbers does not define a numerical limit to the features         identified with the ordinal numbers. For example, the mere usage         of the ordinal numbers “first” and “second” before the term         “widget” does not indicate that there must be no more than two         widgets.     -   iii. When a single device, article or other product is described         herein, more than one device/article (whether or not they         cooperate) may alternatively be used in place of the single         device/article that is described. Accordingly, the functionality         that is described as being possessed by a device may         alternatively be possessed by more than one device/article         (whether or not they cooperate).     -   iv. Similarly, where more than one device, article or other         product is described herein (whether or not they cooperate), a         single device/article may alternatively be used in place of the         more than one device or article that is described. For example,         a plurality of computer-based devices may be substituted with a         single computer-based device. Accordingly, the various         functionality that is described as being possessed by more than         one device or article may alternatively be possessed by a single         device/article.     -   v. The functionality and/or the features of a single device that         is described may be alternatively embodied by one or more other         devices which are described but are not explicitly described as         having such functionality/features. Thus, other embodiments need         not include the described device itself, but rather can include         the one or more other devices which would, in those other         embodiments, have such functionality/features.

IV. Disclosed Examples And Terminology Are Not Limiting

-   -   i. Neither the Title (set forth at the beginning of the first         page of the present application) nor the Abstract (set forth at         the end of the present application) is to be taken as limiting         in any way as the scope of the disclosed invention(s), is to be         used in interpreting the meaning of any claim or is to be used         in limiting the scope of any claim. An Abstract has been         included in this application merely because an Abstract is         required under 37 C.F.R. §1.72(b).     -   ii. The title of the present application and headings of         sections provided in the present application are for convenience         only, and are not to be taken as limiting the disclosure in any         way.     -   iii. Numerous embodiments are described in the present         application, and are presented for illustrative purposes only.         The described embodiments are not, and are not intended to be,         limiting in any sense. The presently disclosed invention(s) are         widely applicable to numerous embodiments, as is readily         apparent from the disclosure. One of ordinary skill in the art         will recognize that the disclosed invention(s) may be practiced         with various modifications and alterations, such as structural,         logical, software, and electrical modifications. Although         particular features of the disclosed invention(s) may be         described with reference to one or more particular embodiments         and/or drawings, it should be understood that such features are         not limited to usage in the one or more particular embodiments         or drawings with reference to which they are described, unless         expressly specified otherwise.     -   iv. Though an embodiment may be disclosed as including several         features, other embodiments of the invention may include fewer         than all such features. Thus, for example, a claim may be         directed to less than the entire set of features in a disclosed         embodiment, and such claim would not include features beyond         those features that the claim expressly recites.     -   v. No embodiment of method steps or product elements described         in the present application constitutes the invention claimed         herein, or is essential to the invention claimed herein, or is         coextensive with the invention claimed herein, except where it         is either expressly stated to be so in this specification or         expressly recited in a claim.     -   vi. The preambles of the claims that follow recite purposes,         benefits and possible uses of the claimed invention only and do         not limit the claimed invention.     -   vii. The present disclosure is not a literal description of all         embodiments of the invention(s). Also, the present disclosure is         not a listing of features of the invention(s) which must be         present in all embodiments.     -   viii. All disclosed embodiment are not necessarily covered by         the claims (even including all pending, amended, issued and         canceled claims). In addition, an embodiment may be (but need         not necessarily be) covered by several claims. Accordingly,         where a claim (regardless of whether pending, amended, issued or         canceled) is directed to a particular embodiment, such is not         evidence that the scope of other claims do not also cover that         embodiment.     -   ix. Devices that are described as in communication with each         other need not be in continuous communication with each other,         unless expressly specified otherwise. On the contrary, such         devices need only transmit to each other as necessary or         desirable, and may actually refrain from exchanging data most of         the time. For example, a machine in communication with another         machine via the Internet may not transmit data to the other         machine for long period of time (e.g. weeks at a time). In         addition, devices that are in communication with each other may         communicate directly or indirectly through one or more         intermediaries.     -   x. A description of an embodiment with several components or         features does not imply that all or even any of such         components/features are required. On the contrary, a variety of         optional components are described to illustrate the wide variety         of possible embodiments of the present invention(s). Unless         otherwise specified explicitly, no component/feature is         essential or required.     -   xi. Although process steps, algorithms or the like may be         described or claimed in a particular sequential order, such         processes may be configured to work in different orders. In         other words, any sequence or order of steps that may be         explicitly described or claimed does not necessarily indicate a         requirement that the steps be performed in that order. The steps         of processes described herein may be performed in any order         possible. Further, some steps may be performed simultaneously         despite being described or implied as occurring         non-simultaneously (e.g., because one step is described after         the other step). Moreover, the illustration of a process by its         depiction in a drawing does not imply that the illustrated         process is exclusive of other variations and modifications         thereto, does not imply that the illustrated process or any of         its steps are necessary to the invention(s), and does not imply         that the illustrated process is preferred.     -   xii. Although a process may be described as including a         plurality of steps, that does not imply that all or any of the         steps are preferred, essential or required. Various other         embodiments within the scope of the described invention(s)         include other processes that omit some or all of the described         steps. Unless otherwise specified explicitly, no step is         essential or required.     -   xiii. Although a process may be described singly or without         reference to other products or methods, in an embodiment the         process may interact with other products or methods. For         example, such interaction may include linking one business model         to another business model. Such interaction may be provided to         enhance the flexibility or desirability of the process.     -   xiv. Although a product may be described as including a         plurality of components, aspects, qualities, characteristics         and/or features, that does not indicate that any or all of the         plurality are preferred, essential or required. Various other         embodiments within the scope of the described invention(s)         include other products that omit some or all of the described         plurality.     -   xv. An enumerated list of items (which may or may not be         numbered) does not imply that any or all of the items are         mutually exclusive, unless expressly specified otherwise.         Likewise, an enumerated list of items (which may or may not be         numbered) does not imply that any or all of the items are         comprehensive of any category, unless expressly specified         otherwise. For example, the enumerated list “a computer, a         laptop, a PDA” does not imply that any or all of the three items         of that list are mutually exclusive and does not imply that any         or all of the three items of that list are comprehensive of any         category.     -   xvi. An enumerated list of items (which may or may not be         numbered) does not imply that any or all of the items are         equivalent to each other or readily substituted for each other.     -   xvii. All embodiments are illustrative, and do not imply that         the invention or any embodiments were made or performed, as the         case may be.

V. Computing

-   -   i. It will be readily apparent to one of ordinary skill in the         art that the various processes described herein may be         implemented by, e.g., appropriately programmed general purpose         computers, special purpose computers and computing devices.         Typically a processor (e.g., one or more microprocessors, one or         more microcontrollers, one or more digital signal processors)         will receive instructions (e.g., from a memory or like device),         and execute those instructions, thereby performing one or more         processes defined by those instructions. Instructions may be         embodied in, e.g., one or more computer programs, one or more         scripts.     -   ii. A “processor” means one or more microprocessors, central         processing units (CPUs), computing devices, microcontrollers,         digital signal processors, or like devices or any combination         thereof, regardless of the architecture (e.g., chip-level         multiprocessing/multi-core, RISC, CISC, Microprocessor without         Interlocked Pipeline Stages, pipelining configuration,         simultaneous multithreading).     -   iii. Thus a description of a process is likewise a description         of an apparatus for performing the process. The apparatus that         performs the process can include, e.g., a processor and those         input devices and output devices that are appropriate to perform         the process.     -   iv. Further, programs that implement such methods (as well as         other types of data) may be stored and transmitted using a         variety of media (e.g., computer readable media) in a number of         manners. In some embodiments, hard-wired circuitry or custom         hardware may be used in place of, or in combination with, some         or all of the software instructions that can implement the         processes of various embodiments. Thus, various combinations of         hardware and software may be used instead of software only.     -   v. The term “computer-readable medium” refers to any medium, a         plurality of the same, or a combination of different media, that         participate in providing data (e.g., instructions, data         structures) which may be read by a computer, a processor or a         like device. Such a medium may take many forms, including but         not limited to, non-volatile media, volatile media, and         transmission media. Non-volatile media include, for example,         optical or magnetic disks and other persistent memory. Volatile         media include dynamic random access memory (DRAM), which         typically constitutes the main memory. Transmission media         include coaxial cables, copper wire and fiber optics, including         the wires that comprise a system bus coupled to the processor.     -   vi. Transmission media may include or convey acoustic waves,         light waves and electromagnetic emissions, such as those         generated during radio frequency (RF) and infrared (IR) data         communications. Common forms of computer-readable media include,         for example, a floppy disk, a flexible disk, hard disk, magnetic         tape, any other magnetic medium, a CD-ROM, DVD, any other         optical medium, punch cards, paper tape, any other physical         medium with patterns of holes, a RAM, a PROM, an EPROM, a         FLASH-EEPROM, any other memory chip or cartridge, a carrier wave         as described hereinafter, or any other medium from which a         computer can read.     -   vii. Various forms of computer readable media may be involved in         carrying data (e.g. sequences of instructions) to a processor.         For example, data may be (i) delivered from RAM to a         processor; (ii) carried over a wireless transmission         medium; (iii) formatted and/or transmitted according to numerous         formats, standards or protocols, such as Ethernet (or IEEE         802.3), SAP, ATP, Bluetooth, and TCP/IP, TDMA, CDMA, and 3G;         and/or (iv) encrypted to ensure privacy or prevent fraud in any         of a variety of ways well known in the art.     -   viii. Thus a description of a process is likewise a description         of a computer-readable medium storing a program for performing         the process. The computer-readable medium can store (in any         appropriate format) those program elements which are appropriate         to perform the method.     -   ix. Just as the description of various steps in a process does         not indicate that all the described steps are required,         embodiments of an apparatus include a computer/computing device         operable to perform some (but not necessarily all) of the         described process.     -   x. Likewise, just as the description of various steps in a         process does not indicate that all the described steps are         required, embodiments of a computer-readable medium storing a         program or data structure include a computer-readable medium         storing a program that, when executed, can cause a processor to         perform some (but not necessarily all) of the described process.     -   xi. Where databases are described, it will be understood by one         of ordinary skill in the art that (i) alternative database         structures to those described may be readily employed, and (ii)         other memory structures besides databases may be readily         employed. Any illustrations or descriptions of any sample         databases presented herein are illustrative arrangements for         stored representations of information. Any number of other         arrangements may be employed besides those suggested by, e.g.,         tables illustrated in drawings or elsewhere. Similarly, any         illustrated entries of the databases represent exemplary         information only; one of ordinary skill in the art will         understand that the number and content of the entries can be         different from those described herein.     -   xii. Further, despite any depiction of the databases as tables,         other formats (including relational databases, object-based         models and/or distributed databases) could be used to store and         manipulate the data types described herein. Likewise, object         methods or behaviors of a database can be used to implement         various processes, such as the described herein. In addition,         the databases may, in a known manner, be stored locally or         remotely from a device which accesses data in such a database.     -   xiii. Various embodiments can be configured to work in a network         environment including a computer that is in communication (e.g.,         via a communications network) with one or more devices. The         computer may communicate with the devices directly or         indirectly, via any wired or wireless medium (e.g. the Internet,         LAN, WAN or Ethernet, Token Ring, a telephone line, a cable         line, a radio channel, an optical communications line,         commercial on-line service providers, bulletin board systems, a         satellite communications link, a combination of any of the         above). Each of the devices may themselves comprise computers or         other computing devices, such as those based on the Intel®         Pentium® or Centrino™ processor, that are adapted to communicate         with the computer. Any number and type of devices may be in         communication with the computer.     -   xiv. In an embodiment, a server computer or centralized         authority may not be necessary or desirable. For example, the         present invention may, in an embodiment, be practiced on one or         more devices without a central authority. In such an embodiment,         any functions described herein as performed by the server         computer or data described as stored on the server computer may         instead be performed by or stored on one or more such devices.     -   xv. Where a process is described, in an embodiment the process         may operate without any user intervention. In another         embodiment, the process includes some human intervention (e.g.,         a step is performed by or with the assistance of a human).

VI. Continuing Applications

-   -   i. The present disclosure provides, to one of ordinary skill in         the art, an enabling description of several embodiments and/or         inventions. Some of these embodiments and/or inventions may not         be claimed in the present application, but may nevertheless be         claimed in one or more continuing applications that claim the         benefit of priority of the present application.     -   ii. Applicants intend to file additional applications to pursue         patents for subject matter that has been disclosed and enabled         but not claimed in the present application.

VII. 35 U.S.C. §112, paragraph 6

-   -   i. In a claim, a limitation of the claim which includes the         phrase “means for” or the phrase “step for” means that 35 U.S.C.         §112, paragraph 6, applies to that limitation.     -   ii. In a claim, a limitation of the claim which does not include         the phrase “means for” or the phrase “step for” means that 35         U.S.C. §112, paragraph 6 does not apply to that limitation,         regardless of whether that limitation recites a function without         recitation of structure, material or acts for performing that         function. For example, in a claim, the mere use of the phrase         “step of” or the phrase “steps of” in referring to one or more         steps of the claim or of another claim does not mean that 35         U.S.C. §112, paragraph 6, applies to that step(s).     -   iii. With respect to a means or a step for performing a         specified function in accordance with 35 U.S.C. §112, paragraph         6, the corresponding structure, material or acts described in         the specification, and equivalents thereof, may perform         additional functions as well as the specified function.     -   iv. Computers, processors, computing devices and like products         are structures that can perform a wide variety of functions.         Such products can be operable to perform a specified function by         executing one or more programs, such as a program stored in a         memory device of that product or in a memory device which that         product accesses. Unless expressly specified otherwise, such a         program need not be based on any particular algorithm, such as         any particular algorithm that might be disclosed in the present         application. It is well known to one of ordinary skill in the         art that a specified function may be implemented via different         algorithms, and any of a number of different algorithms would be         a mere design choice for carrying out the specified function.     -   v. Therefore, with respect to a means or a step for performing a         specified function in accordance with 35 U.S.C. §112, paragraph         6, structure corresponding to a specified function includes any         product programmed to perform the specified function. Such         structure includes programmed products which perform the         function, regardless of whether such product is programmed         with (i) a disclosed algorithm for performing the function, (ii)         an algorithm that is similar to a disclosed algorithm, or (iii)         a different algorithm for performing the function.

Where there is recited a means for performing a function that is a method, one structure for performing this method includes a computing device (e.g., a general purpose computer) that is programmed and/or configured with appropriate hardware to perform that function.

Also included is a computing device (e.g., a general purpose computer) that is programmed and/or configured with appropriate hardware to perform that function via other algorithms as would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art.

VIII. Disclaimer

-   -   i. Numerous references to a particular embodiment do not         indicate a disclaimer or disavowal of additional, different         embodiments, and similarly references to the description of         embodiments which all include a particular feature do not         indicate a disclaimer or disavowal of embodiments which do not         include that particular feature. A clear disclaimer or disavowal         in the present application shall be prefaced by the phrase “does         not include” or by the phrase “cannot perform”.

IX. Incorporation By Reference

-   -   i. Any patent, patent application or other document referred to         herein is incorporated by reference into this patent application         as part of the present disclosure, but only for purposes of         written description and enablement in accordance with 35 U.S.C.         §112, paragraph 1, and should in no way be used to limit,         define, or otherwise construe any term of the present         application, unless without such incorporation by reference, no         ordinary meaning would have been ascertainable by a person of         ordinary skill in the art. Such person of ordinary skill in the         art need not have been in any way limited by any embodiments         provided in the reference     -   ii. Any incorporation by reference does not, in and of itself,         imply any endorsement of, ratification of or acquiescence in any         statements, opinions, arguments or characterizations contained         in any incorporated patent, patent application or other         document, unless explicitly specified otherwise in this patent         application.

X. Prosecution History

In interpreting the present application (which includes the claims), one of ordinary skill in the art shall refer to the prosecution history of the present application, but not to the prosecution history of any other patent or patent application, regardless of whether there are other patent applications that are considered related to the present application, and regardless of whether there are other patent applications that share a claim of priority with the present application.

XI. Games

In this application the term game refers to an event with a plurality of possible outcomes and a payout associated with each outcome. Games may also include a wager. Games may be played by a user called a player. A player plays a game by selecting one or more outcomes from the set of outcomes for the event. In some cases the player may also specify a wager for one or more of the selected outcomes. In other cases there may be a default wager. A wager of zero may be valid for some games. If a selected outcome occurs, the player wins which causes winnings to accrue to the player.

Winnings may be just a payout or a function of both a wager and the payout associated with a realized outcome. In cases where winnings are a function of both a wager and a payout, the payout may be a unitless scale factor. In general winnings may be monetary or non-monetary. For example, winnings may be money, points, or other prizes. Money may take the form of cash, credit, tokens that may be redeemed for cash, or reductions in debt.

One example of a game is wagering on whether a baseball pitcher will earn a save. In this example there 2 outcomes: yes or no. Example payouts might be yes->1.3*W_(y), no->1.7*W_(n), where W_(y) and W_(n) are wagers on the respective outcomes. For example, a player may select the yes outcome before the event takes place, in this case, before the pitcher plays the remainder of the baseball game. The player specifies a wager for the outcome, such as W_(y)=$10. If the pitcher earns a save, the player accrues winnings of $13. If the pitcher does not earn a save, the player accrues no winnings Equivalently, this scenario can be described as a wager of W_(y)=$10 and W_(n)=$0. In some cases nonzero wagers on multiple outcomes may be allowed.

Another example of a game has an event which is a tennis match between two particular tennis players, Player A and Player B. This event may have six possible outcomes: Player A wins in 3 sets, Player A wins in 4 sets, Player A wins in 5 sets, Player B wins in 3 sets, Player B wins in 4 sets, Player B wins in 5 sets. Each of these possible outcomes may have a different payouts associated with them. In this example, all six outcomes have a payout of 4 times the wager associated with the outcome. A first player of the game specifies a wager of 5 units on the outcome that Player B wins in 4 sets. A second player of the game specifies a wager of 2 units on each of the outcomes that have Player A winning the tennis match. If Player A in fact wins the tennis match in 5 sets, then the first player accrues winnings of zero. The second player accrues winnings of 8 units.

In another example game, the event is a political election with three candidates running in the election. The set of possible outcomes is defined to be: Candidate A wins the election, Candidate B wins the election, or Candidate C wins the election. The associated payouts might be Candidate A wins->2*W_(A), Candidate B wins->2*W_(B), Candidate C wins->3*W_(c).

In another example game, the event is a storm making landfall at a particular location. The possible outcomes are defined to be: the category of the storm is 3 or less when landfall occurs, the category of the storm is 4, or the category of the storm is 5. The payouts may be 100 weather prediction score points for a correct prediction, with the selection of only one outcome allowed. A first player of the game selects the category 4 outcome. A second player selects the category 3 or less outcome. The storm in fact makes landfall as a category 2 storm. In this case, the first player accrues no winnings while the second player accrues 100 weather prediction score points.

Just about any event can be used as the predicate event for a game. For a given event, the set of possible outcomes may be partitioned in innumerable ways to define different games. The possibility that an event does not take place as scheduled or expected can be treated as a possible outcome and assigned a payout, such a 1 times a wager. Further, events can be defined as composites of other events. What is important is that a player has an opportunity to select outcomes and/or wagers before the player is aware of the true outcome of the underlying event.

XII. Alerts

In this application the term alert refers to a message sent to a mobile device that identifies one or more games with events that are scheduled to occur. A mobile device is an electronic device that is capable of sending and receiving wireless communication signals and may be operated on battery power. Alerts may be sent at configurable times in relation to, for example, the identification of the scheduled event or the time at which the event is scheduled to occur. The alert message may include a description of the event and a description of the game. The description of the game may include a listing of the possible outcomes defined for the event and the payouts associated with each outcome. The description of the game may also describe limits on allowed wagers. An alert may prompt a user for a response. An alert may be formatted and personalized to the recipient or the sender.

FIG. 1 shows a display of information from an example alert for the case of the pitcher save game describe in section XI. The display 100 includes a header portion 110 which has been customized for the sender of the alert, which in this case is a casino. The display also includes a greeting portion 120 personalized to the recipient of the alert. The display includes an event information portion 130 that displaying text describing the event that is scheduled to occur. The event information includes a time when the event is scheduled to occur. The event information portion may also include graphics or video related the event. The display includes a game description portion 150 that identifies one or more games associated with the event. In the depicted example, one game is identified. The game description portion includes a listing of the two possible outcomes defined for this game and their associated payouts. The display also includes a response prompt portion 170 that requests a response from the player receiving the alert.

The display of the alert may include multiple pages or views that allow more detail on particular aspects of the alert to be viewed by the player receiving the alert upon request. For example, clicking on an icon or link may access alternate views that display more detail on a particular aspect of the alert information.

An alert may include an audio component. For example, the mobile device may play a ring tone when an alert is received. Alerts may include recorded voice messages.

In some embodiments alert massages may cause a mobile device to vibrate.

The presentation of an alert may vary as a function of the sensed location of the mobile device that receives the alert. For example, when the mobile device is located in area that is usually crowded or loud, such as the main floor of a casino, an audio component of the alert may be played at a high volume level or induce vibration of the mobile device.

A response prompt portion may provide a link to a gaming service provider website. A response prompt may optionally solicit wager information from a player receiving the alert. A range of allowed wagers may be specified and wagers solicited in the display by using a sliding bar that allows the player to click or drag to select an allowed wager. Wagers may also be input through a text interface.

XIII. Gaming Preference

In this application the term gaming preference refers to information indicative of one or more games that a user has interest in. The gaming preference may also specify certain parameters of a game, such as a default wager or how far in advance of the actual event, the alert messages should be sent to the user. A gaming preference may identify a set of games directly, for example through the use of assigned game identifiers. Alternatively a gaming preference may specify games indirectly by describing the events associated with games of interest or other aspects of games that are of interest.

The direct identification of games by a user may be facilitated by providing a listing of available games and an interface for browsing and/or searching the listing. A listing of games may be organized in logical categories and the selection of all games in one or more categories may be one allowed method of specifying a gaming preference. Searching of a listing of available games may be done with text searching of game names, of event descriptions, or other meta data associated with the games.

One way to specify games of interest indirectly is to allow the user to enter a text query related to events of interest. This text query may be transmitted as part of a gaming preference to a gaming service provider. The provider may store the gaming preference and use the text query to search game or event descriptions at times in the future. The text queries may be conducted using any text searching techniques, such as natural language queries or more structured operator based queries.

A gaming preference may also include other optional parameters specifying how alerts should be handled or other aspects of the gaming experience. For example, a gaming preference may specify the timing of alert transmissions. The timing can be specified in relation to when the event underlying a game of interest is first detected or in relation to when the event is scheduled to occur. Another parameter that may be specified in a gaming preference is a default wager for a game of interest.

An example gaming preference in the indirect style is

-   -   i. “golf tournament tiger woods”, {24 hours prior}

In this case, the gaming preference includes a text string that can be matched to gaming event descriptions using text searching techniques. This gaming preference might match games that have been set up relating to Tiger Woods participation in a golf tournament, such as will Tiger Woods win the Masters Tournament (yes, no); what place will Tiger finish the a tournament in (1^(st) place, 2^(nd) place, . . . disqualified); or what will tiger shoot at the U.S. Open (5 under, 4 under, more than 4 under, etc.). Alerts would be sent 24 hours before the gaming event, most likely a golf tournament in this case, is scheduled to commence.

XIV. Player Interface

A player or end user may access gaming services through a mobile device. A mobile device is an electronic device that is capable of sending and receiving wireless communication signals and may be operated on battery power. Mobile devices may include one or more user output components such as a display or speaker. Mobile devices may include one or more user input components such as a keypad, touchpad, or touch-screen. Some example mobile devices are a cell phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), or a dedicated mobile gaming device with a hardware interface customized for gaming applications.

A mobile device may also be configured to determine its geographic location with respect to reference points. In some jurisdictions gambling activities are legally restricted to designated areas. For example, a casino may be licensed offering gambling services only to customers physically located within its place of business. A casino may also choose to limit mobile gaming activities to certain designated areas within a building. Therefore it is desirable to enable a mobile device that is used by a player to access gaming services to detect whether or not the device is currently located within a designated area.

In some embodiments, a mobile device may include a location detector. The location detector may be a GPS (Global Positioning System) based detector. In alternative embodiments, a location detector may comprise a Bluetooth device. For example, a location detector may be a Bluetooth transceiver that either reads Bluetooth information from other Bluetooth devices such as devices having beacons. The Bluetooth information may differ depending on which Bluetooth device is supplying information, such that the Bluetooth device may be identified. Alternatively, a location detector may be a wireless network receiver or transceiver that can at least read information, including beacon information, from one or more wireless networking devices such as wireless networking access points. A location detector may analyze signal strength values received from various wireless signal sources such as beacons (e.g. Bluetooth beacons) or signal strength values received via wireless networking component or external system interface to determine a current location. A location detector may receive multiple signal strength indications representing signal strengths from multiple wireless signal sources such as beacons for Bluetooth devices or access points and use the signal strength values to determine a location for the mobile device. Additionally, a location detector may be able to determine a position based on the timing of the arrival of signals such as beacon signals from various types of wireless devices. In still further embodiments, a location detector may be an inertial guidance based system.

In some embodiments, the mobile device may be configured as a thin client for gaming applications that does little more than convey input and output signals to and from a gaming server. For example software controlling the graphical user interface for gaming applications may be run on a remote gaming server.

XV. Gaming Server

A gaming server communicates with a mobile device to a provide player using the mobile device with access to gaming services. A gaming server supports one or more games that players can play by accessing either the gaming server or a related server. A gaming server allows registration of players or mobile devices to receive alerts related to one or more supported games. A gaming server allows a player to submit gaming preference data that is stored for later use in generating alerts. A player may enter gaming preference data through a mobile device which is then relayed to the gaming server. When a event associated with a game is scheduled to occur, the gaming server sends alerts to all mobile devices that have been identified in submitted gaming preference data as a destination for alerts related to the game. A mobile device identified as a destination for alerts by information stored by the gaming server is said to be registered to receive alerts. Similarly, gaming preferences are said to be registered when they are received by a gaming server and used to update alert registration information.

A gaming server includes or has access to a data storage device that stores information related to supported games and registered players or mobile devices. For example, the data storage device may be hard drive that is accessed via a bus or the data storage device may be a database server that is accessed via a communications network, such as an Internet Protocol network. The information related to supported games may include, for example, descriptions of the event underlying a game, payouts, or other rules and meta data. The information related to players may include, for example, gaming preferences, a unique identifier for a mobile device associated with the player, or information sufficient to contact the mobile device such as a network address.

In one embodiment, the information regarding player gaming preferences that is stored on the data storage device is organized by supported games. The information for each supported game includes a list of player or mobile device identification information for mobile devices registered to receive alerts related to the game.

In another embodiment, the information regarding player gaming preferences that is stored on the data storage device is organized by player or mobile device. The information for each registered mobile device includes one or more gaming preferences. These gaming preferences may be stored as one or more gaming preference records. These gaming preferences may also be stored as unified list of supported games that mobile device is registered to receive alerts for.

XVI. Gaming Event Detection

To provide timely alerts to registered mobile devices, a gaming server determines when an instance of a supported game event is scheduled to occur. A gaming event detector is used process incoming datastreams and extract information regarding scheduled game events. A gaming event detector may be an integrated component of a gaming server. Alternatively, a gaming event detector may be a separate device that passes information regarding detected game events to one or more gaming servers.

In this application a current event refers to an event with an outcome that is expected to be revealed in the future. Some example current events include a scheduled tennis match, playoff at the end of golf tournament ending in a tie, a baseball pitcher being inserted into a game with a save opportunity, a weather forecast, or an election. News datastream refers to information sent over a communications network by a news provider that includes descriptions of current events. A news datastream may comprise, for example, a sequence of data bearing packets or a circuit switched connection between a gaming event detector and a remote device operated by a news provider.

FIG. 2 depicts an exemplary mobile alert system 200. The mobile alert system 200 includes a gaming server 210 which is configured to accept gaming preference registrations from and send alerts to mobile devices via a network interface 215. The network interface 215 may be wireless interface that allows direct communication with mobile devices. Alternatively, the network interface may allow transmissions to and from a network including one or more wireless access points that in turn communicate directly with mobile devices. The gaming server is also connected to a local area network (LAN) 230 that allows it to communicate with other components in the mobile alert system 200. The system also includes data storage device 240 for storing information regarding supported, registered gaming preferences, or other alert related data. The data stored on the data storage device 240 may be accessed by the gaming server 210 via the LAN 230. The system also includes a gaming event detector 250, which is able to access the data storage device 240 and communicate with the gaming server 210 via the LAN 230. The gaming event detector receives one or more data streams from providers of news via a network interface 255. In normal operation, the gaming server 210 updates alert registration information stored in the data storage device 240. The gaming event detector 250 processes incoming datastreams bearing news to extract information about events related to game events or registered gaming preferences. The detector accesses information regarding supported games or gaming preferences stored in the data storage device 240 in order to complete this processing. When game events are detected, the detector 250 sends formatted messages summarizing the detected events to the gaming server 210. The gaming server 210 in turn sends alerts corresponding to the detected events to all mobile devices registered to receive those alerts.

In other embodiments, a gaming server may be more closely integrated with the gaming event detector. For example, the gaming server and the event detector may be software run on the same processing device.

In other embodiments, a gaming server may be more remote from the gaming event detector. For example, the gaming server and the event detector may be located at distant locations and communicate over a wide are network (WAN). The gaming server and the event detector may be operated by different entities. A remote gaming event detector may store a copy of data related to supported games or gaming preferences in its own local data storage device. In this case the stored data may be updated in response to synchronization or update messages sent by a remote gaming server.

A gaming event detector outputs messages summarizing current events related to supported games or registered gaming preferences. These messages are sent to a gaming server. The messages are formatted so that the gaming server may decode the new data and easily determine what supported games or which gaming preferences are implicated by the new data. The gaming server may then generate resulting alerts that will be forwarded to registered mobile devices. For example, the messages may be formatted as extensible markup language (XML) messages. XML is used to create a tagging scheme that allows elements of a document to be marked according to their content rather than their format.

Alerts may be sent to a mobile device as soon as a current event implicating the alert is detected. Alternatively, alerts may be queued and sent at later times configured in accordance with parameters of the associated gaming preference. For example, a gaming preference may implicate Game A and include a parameter that requests alerts to be sent one hour prior to the scheduled time for the event associated with Game A. If news regarding the scheduling of an instance of the event is detected two days prior to scheduled time, then this information may be stored in timed release buffer. When the designated time arrives, the alert may be generated and/or sent to the mobile device and the corresponding entry cleared from the buffer. The timed release buffer may be implemented as a linked list of transmission time slots, where each slot includes a linked list of scheduled alerts to be generated and/or sent.

When alerts are generated, they incorporate information from the gaming event detector regarding the gaming event detected. The alerts may also be customized for the gaming server it is being sent from or the mobile device it is to be sent to. In this manner a gaming event detector may be shared by multiple gaming servers.

XVII. Sharing Gaming Preferences And Alerts

Players may wish to share gaming preferences or alerts with other players. Some embodiments facilitate the sharing of gaming preferences or alerts by players or across multiple mobile devices.

In one embodiment, gaming preferences may be registered for multiple mobile devices by including information identifying multiple mobile devices in a single gaming preference registration communication. Authentication information may be required for each mobile device registered in this manner.

In another embodiment, a gaming server may facilitate sharing of gaming preferences by providing a forwarding service that allows players to propose gaming preferences to other players in messages that are forwarded to a player's mobile device by the gaming server. These messages may drive an interface on a mobile device to make registering a proposed gaming preference easy for the player receiving the message. For example, registering a proposed gaming preference may require only clicking an icon or link in the message.

In another embodiment, a gaming server may facilitate sharing of alerts by providing a forwarding service that allows players to forward received alerts to other players in messages that are forwarded to a player's mobile device by the gaming server.

In another embodiment, a gaming service may make a player directory available to registered players. The player directory may include contact information such as a network address for a mobile device associated with a player. The accessibility of a player's contact information in the directory to other players may be controlled or configured by that player. Players may use contact information from the player directory to directly send alerts or gaming preference proposal messages to the mobile devices of other players.

XVIII. Predicting Gaming Preferences

To promote mobile gaming activity it is helpful to inform players about what games are supported by a gaming server. Since the number of supported games may be large, it is desirable to focus limited marketing materials on supported games that a particular player is most likely to have interest in. The games a player is most likely to have interest in may be predicted based in part on the player's existing alert registration information as well as patterns in the alert registrations of all players registered to receive alerts. Once the games most likely to be of interest to a particular player are identified, a gaming server may market those games to the player through messages sent to a mobile device that suggest the registration of a gaming preference implicating the identified game or games. The identified games may also be promoted through other targeted advertising directed to the player.

Given a set of supported games and a set of players or mobile devices registered to receive alerts for one or more of those games, it is possible to identify patterns of coincident interest in certain games. Coincidence of registration is when a single mobile device is registered to receive alerts for all games in a subset of the supported games. Coincidence of registration for subsets of the supported games may be used to predict which games a player using a particular mobile device is most likely to be interested in. The basic idea is that if many of the players registered to receive alerts for one game are also registered to receive alerts for a second game, then it is likely that a player registered for the first game, but not the second game, would be interested in learning about the second game. This concept can be extended to larger subsets in cases where having mobile devices that have larger groups of games in common gives more information than many pairwise matches spread over a larger group of mobile devices.

FIG. 5 is a chart of alert registrations for an example scenario of a gaming server supporting four games (A-D) with five mobile devices (1-5) registered to receive alerts for one or more of the games. In the chart, if a mobile device is registered to receive alerts for a supported game, the corresponding entry is a one. Otherwise the corresponding entry is a zero. This alert registration scenario will be used to illustrate gaming preference prediction method described below.

One method for identifying and tracking alert registration patterns is to maintain a coincidence matrix for the supported games. A coincidence matrix is a symmetric square matrix that has rows and columns for each game supported by the gaming server. Each entry of the coincidence matrix is the number of mobile devices registered to receive alerts for both the game corresponding to the row and the game corresponding to the column. FIG. 6 shows a coincidence matrix representing coincidence of registration for all pairs of supported games for the registration scenario depicted in FIG. 5. The first row and first column correspond to game A. The second row and second column correspond to game B, and so on.

The games a player is most likely to be interested in can be predicted using the coincidence matrix and the player's existing gaming preferences. The gaming preferences associated with a mobile device may be represented as a binary registration vector corresponding to one of the rows in the chart of FIG. 5. This registration vector may be multiplied by the coincidence matrix to calculate an interest vector that represents the relative likelihoods that the player will be interested in each of the supported games. Next, entries in the interest vector corresponding to games the player already is registered to receive alerts for are removed or zeroed. Finally, the remaining entries may be sorted to identify which of the remaining supported games are most likely to be of interest to the player. The remaining entry with the maximum value is most likely to be of interest and so on for as many games as desired.

For example, in the scenario of FIG. 5, mobile device 4 has a registration vector of [0 1 0 1]^(T). Multiplying this registration vector by the coincidence matrix of FIG. 6 results in an interest vector of [1 4 3 5]^(T). Zeroing the second and fourth entries, because mobile device 4 is already registered to receive alerts for games B and D, results in an interest vector of [1 0 3 0]^(T). The maximum remaining entry is the three associated with game C. Therefore the method predicts that the player using mobile device 4 is most likely to be interested in game C.

For scenarios with more supported games, sparse matrix techniques may be used to simplify the calculations including the matrix multiplication. The coincidence matrix may be generated each time a marketing application is run. Alternatively, the coincidence matrix may be stored and updated each time a new gaming preference is registered or deleted in the gaming server. In the example of FIG. 6, only half of the entries need to be stored because of the symmetry properties. This storage requirement may be further reduced using sparse matrix techniques.

The coincidence of registrations are calculated for each defined subset by testing the registered gaming preferences of each mobile device and counting the number of mobile devices that are registered for all games in the subset. The coincidences of registration for each subset may be stored for later use in predicting which supported games the player using a particular mobile device would most likely be interested in. These stored coincidence of registration values may be updated each time a gaming preference is registered or deleted. For example, this process may be used to generate the coincidence matrix elements of FIG. 6, which is a case where all of the defined subsets are pairs of supported games. This process may also be applied to calculate coincidence of registration values for defined subsets with more than two members.

A prediction of which games will be of interest to a player may be determined by adding coincidence of registration values for defined subsets for which the player is not registered for exactly one of the games in the subset. A interest indicator value may be calculated for each supported game that satisfies two criteria: (i) the player is not currently registered to receive alerts for the game; and (ii) the game is the only game in at least one defined subset that the player is not currently registered to receive alerts for. An interest indicator value is calculated by adding the coincidence of registration values for all subsets satisfying criterion (ii). The coincidence of registration values added to calculate an interest indicator value may optionally be weighted differently. For example, subsets of larger sizes may be weighted more heavily. Games with the largest interest indicator values are then selected as the games the player is most likely to be interested in.

Another method for identifying alert registration patterns predicting games of interest is to start by analyzing the alert registrations of a particular player and considering only defined subsets of the supported games for which the player is registered to receive alerts for all but one missing member of the subset. Coincidence of registration value may then be calculated on as needed basis to reduce complexity in certain circumstances.

Messages sent to a mobile device to suggest games of interest may include descriptions of the games, including descriptions the event and/or a schedule for upcoming instances of the event. Messages suggesting games of interest may also prompt a player to submit a preformatted gaming preference that has been generated to implicate one or more games of interest. For example, the player may be prompted to register the gaming preference by clicking a link.

Further Embodiments

The following should be interpreted as further embodiments and not as claims.

A—A method comprising:

-   -   receiving a datastream describing news;     -   extracting one or more descriptions of current events from the         datastream;     -   identifying event matches based on the one or more descriptions         of current events and event descriptions associated with games;         and     -   transmitting data describing event matches to a remote device.

A.1—The method of claim A, wherein the data describing event matches includes information identifying a game and information regarding the current event, including the time when the current event is scheduled to occur.

A.2—The method of claim A, further comprising formatting the data in an XML format.

A.3—The method of claim A, further comprising identifying mobile devices that are registered to receive alerts regarding event matches.

A.4—The method of claim A.3, wherein the transmitted data also includes lists of mobile devices that are registered to receive alerts regarding event matches.

B—A system comprising:

-   -   a data storage device storing information regarding a plurality         of games, wherein a game includes a wager, an event with a         plurality of possible outcomes, and a payout associated with         each outcome, and wherein the stored information includes, for         each game, a list of mobile devices registered to receive alerts         associated with the game; and     -   a processing device configured to:         -   receive data comprising information related to the games;         -   identify matches between information in the data and one or             more games by searching game information stored in the data             storage device; and         -   for each match, generate at least one alert message for each             mobile device registered to receive alerts associated with             the game, wherein the alert message includes a summary of             information from the data regarding the game including when             a game event is scheduled to occur.

B.1—The system of claim B, further comprising a server configured to transmit an alert generated by the processing device to a mobile device identified as the target of the alert.

B.2—The system of claim B.1, wherein the server transmits alerts to the mobile device upon receipt from the processing device.

B.3—The system of claim B.1, wherein the server stores an alert and transmits it to the mobile device at one or more configured times prior to the scheduled gaming event.

B.4—The system of claim B.3, wherein the alert transmission times are determined at least in part by gaming preference data.

B.5 The system of claim B.1, wherein the server is further configured to:

-   -   receive a request from the mobile device that an the alert be         forwarded to a second mobile device; and     -   transmit the alert to the second mobile device.

C—A method comprising:

-   -   specifying a gaming preference with gaming preference data         indicative of one or more games; and     -   transmitting the gaming preference data to a server.

C.1—The method of claim C, wherein the gaming preference data includes a default wager.

C.2—The method of claim C, further comprising transmitting information identifying a mobile device to receive alerts regarding the gaming preference.

C.3—The method of claim C.2, further comprising transmitting information specifying the timing of future alert messages.

C.4—The method of claim C.2, further comprising transmitting information identifying an additional mobile device to receive alerts regarding the gaming preference.

C.5—The method of claim C.2, further comprising transmitting a request to the gaming server for gaming preference data to be forwarded to a different mobile device.

C.6 The method of claim C, further comprising receiving confirmation that the server received the gaming preference data.

C.7 The method of claim C.6, further comprising receiving confirmation that the gaming preference data is valid and has been registered by the server.

C.8 The method of claim C.7, further comprising receiving a list of games matching the gaming preference data.

D—A method comprising:

-   -   receiving an alert message via a wireless communication         transmission from a server, wherein the alert message includes         information describing a game and a scheduled game event,         wherein a game includes an event with a plurality of possible         outcomes, a wager, and a payout associated with each outcome.

D.1—The method of claim D, further comprising transmitting wager information for a game identified in the alert to a server.

D.2—The method of claim D, wherein the alert message is received using a mobile gaming device that checks whether the mobile gaming device is currently located within a designated area for gaming.

D.3—The method of claim D, further comprising forwarding the alert to a second mobile device.

D.4—The method of claim D.3, wherein the forwarding comprises sending a request to the server that the alert be sent to the second mobile device.

E—An apparatus comprising:

-   -   a wireless communication transmitter and receiver configured to         transmit signals to a server and receive signals from the         server, wherein the server is programmed to access information         associated with a plurality of games, each game including a         wager, an event with a plurality of possible outcomes, and a         payout associated with each outcome, and wherein the transmitter         and receiver are further configured to:         -   transmit gaming preference data to the server, the gaming             preference data including data indicative of one or more             games; and         -   receive confirmation regarding the validity of the gaming             preference and registration of the gaming preference from             the gaming server;     -   a display for displaying information about games and gaming         preferences; and     -   a data entry device for inputting gaming preference data.

E.1—The apparatus of claim E, further comprising a device that detects geographic location of the mobile device.

E.2—The apparatus of claim E.1, wherein the device that detects geographic location of the mobile device includes global positioning service receiver.

F—A method comprising:

-   -   receiving a datastream describing news;     -   extracting one or more current event descriptions from the         datastream;     -   identifying event matches based on the one or more current event         descriptions and gaming preferences; and     -   transmitting data describing event matches to a remote device.

F.1—The method of claim F, further comprising, for each event match, generating an event match record including information identifying a gaming preference and information regarding the current event, including the time when the event is scheduled to occur.

F.2—The method of claim F, wherein the transmitting data comprises formatting the data in an XML format.

F.3—The method of claim F, further comprising identifying mobile devices that are registered to receive alerts regarding the event matches.

G—A system comprising:

-   -   a data storage device storing gaming preferences that include         data indicative of one or more games and data identifying at         least one mobile device registered to receive alerts regarding         the games, wherein a game includes a wager, an event with a         plurality of possible outcomes, and a payout associated with         each outcome; and     -   a processing device configured to:         -   receive data comprising information related to one or more             games;         -   identify matches between information in the data and one or             more gaming preferences by searching gaming preferences             stored in the data storage device; and         -   for each match, generate an alert message summarizing             information from the data regarding games described by the             gaming preference.

H—A computer readable medium encoded with computer executable instructions which, when executed, direct a computer to perform the method of claim A.

I—A computer readable medium encoded with computer executable instructions which, when executed, direct a computer to perform the method of claim G.

J—A method comprising:

-   -   reading alert registration data from a data storage device that         stores records describing a plurality of games, wherein each         record includes a list of mobile devices registered to receive         alerts regarding the game;     -   determining the number of mobile devices registered to receive         alerts for all of the games in a subset of the plurality of         games consisting of two or more games;     -   determining an estimate of the correlation among user interests         in the subset of games based at least in part on the count; and     -   storing the estimate.

J.1—The method of claim J, wherein the subset of games is a pair of games.

J.2—The method of claim J wherein the subset of games includes three games.

J.3—The method of claim J, further comprising:

-   -   counting the number of mobile devices registered to receive         alerts for each pair of the plurality of games;     -   calculating estimates of the correlations between user interest         in the pairs of games based at least in part on the counts; and     -   storing the estimates of the correlations.

J.4 The method of claim J.3, further comprising:

-   -   reading a list of games that a mobile device is registered to         receive alerts for; and     -   summing the estimates of the correlations for pairs that include         the games the mobile device is currently registered to receive         alerts for to and a game that the users is not currently         registered to receive alerts for; and     -   identifying one or more games of interest that the mobile device         is not currently registered to receive alerts for, based at         least in part on the sum associated with that game or games.

J.5 The method of claim J.4, further comprising transmitting a list of games of interest for the mobile device.

J.6 The method of claim J.4, further comprising:

-   -   identifying a gaming preference that, if adopted by a user for a         mobile device, would register the mobile device to receive         alerts for the games of interest;     -   transmitting a message proposing the gaming preference.

K—A method comprising:

-   -   reading one or more gaming preferences registered for a mobile         device; and     -   identifying a set of games which are not implicated by any of         the gaming preferences registered for the mobile device but that         have high rates of coincidence of alert registration relative to         other sets of games described in a register of gaming preference         registrations for a plurality of mobile devices.

K.1—The method of claim K, further comprising transmitting a list of games of interest for the mobile device.

K.2 The method of claim K, further comprising:

-   -   identifying a gaming preference that, if adopted by a user for a         mobile device, would register the mobile device to receive         alerts for the games of interest;     -   transmitting a message proposing the gaming preference.

Elements of different embodiments described herein may be combined to form other embodiments not specifically set forth above. Other embodiments not specifically described herein are also within the scope of the following claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. An apparatus comprising: a network interface to receive gaming event data; at least one data storage device to store information regarding gaming preferences and a list of mobile devices registered to receive alerts associated with a respective game; at least one processor to: determine a current location of a respective mobile device; determine whether wagering on a gaming event is permitted in the current location of the respective mobile device; search the gaming preferences stored in at least one data storage device; compare the gaming preferences stored in the at least one data storage device with the gaming event data received via the network interface; identify a pattern in the gaming preferences of the mobile devices; and in response to identifying the pattern in the gaming preferences and in response to determining that wagering on the gaming event is permitted in the current location, generate at least one alert message for a respective mobile device, the alert including a suggested gaming event based on the identified pattern and a potential outcome of the suggested gaming event; and generate a graphical user interface that permits entry of a wager on the potential outcome of the gaming event via the respective mobile device.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to transmit the at least one alert message and the graphical user interface to the respective mobile device.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to generate a summary of payouts associated with the potential outcome of the gaming event.
 4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to store the at least one alert message and transmit the at least one alert message to the respective mobile device at one or more configured times prior to the gaming event.
 5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the suggested game is most likely of interest to a user of the respective mobile device based on the identified pattern.
 6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to: receive a request from the respective mobile device that the alert message be forwarded to a second mobile device; and transmit the at least one alert message to the second mobile device.
 7. A method comprising: determining, by at least one processor, a current location of a respective mobile device; determining, by the at least one processor, whether wagering on a gaming event is permitted in the current location of the respective mobile device; searching, by the at least one processor, gaming preferences stored in at least one data storage device; comparing, by the at least one processor, the gaming preferences stored in the at least one data storage device with gaming event data received via a network interface; identifying, by the at least one processor, a pattern in the gaming preferences of the mobile devices; and in response to identifying the pattern in the gaming preferences and in response to determining that wagering on the gaming event is permitted in the current location, generating, by the at least one processor, at least one alert message for a respective mobile device, the alert including a suggested gaming event based on the identified pattern and a potential outcome of the suggested gaming event; and generating, by the at least one processor, a graphical user interface that permits entry of a wager on the potential outcome of the gaming event via the respective mobile device.
 8. The method of claim 7, further comprising transmitting, by the at least one processor, the at least one alert message to the respective mobile device.
 9. The method of claim 7, further comprising generating, by the at least one processor, a summary of payouts associated with the potential outcome of the gaming event.
 10. The method of claim 7, further comprising storing, by the at least one processor, the at least one alert message in the at least one data storage device and transmitting, by the at least one processor, the at least one alert message to the respective mobile device at one or more configured times prior to the gaming event.
 11. The method of claim 10, wherein the suggested game is most likely of interest to a user of the respective mobile device based on the identified pattern.
 12. The method of claim 7, further comprising: receiving, by the at least one processor, a request from the respective mobile device that the alert message be forwarded to a second mobile device; and transmitting, by the at least one processor, the at least one alert message to the second mobile device, in response to the request.
 13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium with instructions stored therein which, when executed, cause at least one processor to: determine a current location of a respective mobile device; determine whether wagering on a gaming event is permitted in the current location of the respective mobile device; search gaming preferences stored in at least one data storage device; compare the gaming preferences stored in the at least one data storage device with gaming event data received via a network interface; identify a pattern in the gaming preferences of the mobile devices; and in response to identifying the pattern in the gaming preferences and in response to determining that wagering on the gaming event is permitted in the current location, generate at least one alert message for a respective mobile device, the alert including a suggested gaming event based on the identified pattern and a potential outcome of the suggested gaming event; and generate a graphical user interface that permits entry of a wager on the potential outcome of the gaming event via the respective mobile device.
 14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the instructions stored therein, when executed, further cause at least one processor to transmit the at least one alert message to the respective mobile device.
 15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the instructions stored therein, when executed, further cause at least one processor to generate a summary comprising payouts associated with the potential outcome of the gaming event.
 16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the instructions stored therein, when executed, further cause at least one processor to: store the at least one alert message and transmit the at least one alert message to the respective mobile device at one or more configured times prior to the gaming event.
 17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the suggested game is most likely of interest to a user of the respective mobile device based on the identified pattern.
 18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the instructions stored therein, when executed, further cause at least one processor to: receive a request from the respective mobile device that the alert message be forwarded to a second mobile device; and transmit the at least one alert message to the second mobile device. 